The government has obtained information that lodgings used by Japanese wire agency Kyodo News in the southern Iraqi city of Samawah could be targeted by terrorists or insurgents, sources said Tuesday.
Upon receiving the information, the Foreign Ministry issued a warning Monday to the media explaining "the possibility of Japanese nationals becoming attack targets has not vanished yet," one of the sources said.
Kyodo News declined comment Tuesday on whether it had received specific information that a private residence that was being used by its staff was a target.
But it acknowledged it had temporarily moved its Japanese reporters and photographers from Samawah to Baghdad after considering various factors, including security information it had obtained about its base in Samawah.
"Our understanding is that Samawah is in a situation that could involve danger, including the possibility of terrorist attack," Kyodo said in a written statement.
Dozens of Japanese media workers are now in Samawah, where an advance Ground Self-Defense Force team is currently deployed to help reconstruction efforts.
The noncombat mission is expected to be the most dangerous overseas task undertaken by the GSDF.
"A recommendation for the withdrawal (of Japanese nationals) has already been issued for the area in the first place," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda told his regularly scheduled news conference.
Fukuda added that it would be "appropriate" to deploy the main GSDF unit in Samawah, as the soldiers are capable of protecting themselves.